In vivo neurochemistry of primary focal hand dystonia: an MR spectroscopic neurometabolite profiling study at 3T

The neurochemical basis of dystonia is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the differences of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, in the sensorimotor cortex and the basal ganglia using MR Spectroscopy with optimized GABA sensitivity. 22 patients with focal hand dystonia and 22 healthy controls were studied. No significant differences in GABA were observed between groups in either the sensorimotor cortex or in the basal ganglia.